1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for reducing workpiece handling overhead relative to active workpiece processing time in a manufacturing process, and, more particularly, to reducing the relative time spent pumping a vacuum in semiconductor wafer processing chambers, venting such chambers to atmosphere, and transferring wafers to and from such chambers while increasing the relative time spent actively processing the wafers in the chambers, such as, by actively etching, stripping, and depositing the semiconductive layers of the wafers, and, even more particularly, to the process of switching common RF or microwave power supply sources alternately between dual downstream or in-chamber plasma reactors and alternately actively processing in one reactor while performing the aforesaid overhead tasks on the other reactor thereby significantly increasing the throughput of the overall machine at overall reduction in equipment cost compared to conventional dual or multiple reactor systems.
2. Discussion Of Background And Prior Art